Martin Johnson's successor as England rugby union captain was set to be revealed today.

England head coach Sir Clive Woodward was set to unveil his first post-World Cup squad, ahead of the RBS Six Nations Championship opener in Italy on February 15.

World Cup-winning skipper Johnson confirmed he was quitting the Test arena 11 days ago. The candidates lining up to take over are headed by Wasps back-row forward Lawrence Dallaglio, Gloucester prop Phil Vickery and Saracens flanker Richard Hill.

Fly-half Wilkinson, though, is by no means certain to feature against Italy, while Dawson is also battling with a shoulder problem.

Injuries, meanwhile, look set to dominate the agenda for Woodward's squad.

Of the original 30-man World Cup party, nine - Wilkinson, Dawson, Kay, Hill, Mike Tindall, Stuart Abbott, Julian White, Lewis Moody and Martin Corry - are currently sidelined, while Bath's Mike Catt has not played since the World Cup.

On the plus side, Woodward will inevitably hand a call-up to Gloucester's gifted 21-year-old wing James Simpson-Daniel, who could consider himself desperately unlucky that he missed out on World Cup selection.